Blue Dot Pilot ending
Blue Dot will start with the decommissioning process at the end of November.
Minister Mitchell calls on national government, business and other stakeholders to join him as he seeks to strengthen, grow and empower the minibus taxi industry to provide quality public transport to the citizens of the Western Cape and the country.
Almost 18 months ago, the Western Cape Government partnered with the provincial minibus taxi industry to roll out the ground-breaking Blue Dot Taxi project, an incentive programme to reward improved driving behaviour and service quality, while progressing the formalisation of the industry.
Read more:
- News: Western Cape Minister of Mobility notes meeting and proposed shutdown by minibus-taxi industry
- News: Western Cape Minister of Mobility again calls for cancellation of taxi strike
- News: Western Cape Government's response to the taxi shutdown
Blue Dot achievements
Up to 1 300 minibus taxis distributed across the province will take part in this new incentive pilot programme. Blue Dot will reward improved driving behaviour and higher service quality while working to reduce the likelihood of illegal operations and violent conflict.
The project aims to:
- Improve the quality and safety of the service provided to the passenger,
- Achieve empowerment in, and transformation of, the industry, and
- Address two of the industry’s most challenging issues, namely illegal operations and violent conflict.
Eight new companies have been established by the Western Cape’s regional taxi councils to participate in the pilot along with Umanyano Travel Services (UTS), the company established by the South African National Taxi Council’s (SANTACO) provincial branch to participate in the earlier Red Dot taxi initiative.
Participating regions
Eight regions are taking part in the Blue Dot taxi service pilot:
- Boland
- CATA
- CODETA
- Eden
- Greater Cape Town
- Mitchells Plain
- Northern
- Two Oceans
How it works
You’ll be able to recognise each taxi with its large Blue Dot sticker on the outside.
If you take a Blue Dot taxi you can rate the service anonymously by dialling *134*3047# for FREE or WhatsApp "Hi" to 073 249 2152 with the taxi’s unique number and your rating.
When you submit your rating ask yourself whether the taxi is:
- Speeding
- Driving safely
- Following the rules of the road
- Too full
Every time you rate a Blue Dot taxi, you influence the taxi’s unique star rating which determines what financial reward they will receive. Higher ratings lead to higher rewards, but lower ratings lead to less or no rewards. Over time, this helps to encourage better taxi behaviour in order to create lasting change.
Thanks to your feedback, we can identify taxis that keep performing poorly and help them improve.
What eligibility criteria and performance standards are included in Blue Dot?
To participate in Blue Dot, operators need to meet several rigorous eligibility criteria. Participants can earn an incentive payment based on their performance against the performance standards, which cover driving behaviour and service quality. Performance is monitored using the onboard trackers and on-the-ground monitoring, as well as user feedback from passengers and other members of the public.
Eligibility criteria and performance standards include:
- Installation of onboard vehicle trackers,
- Automated monitoring of habitual poor driving behaviour such as speeding, harsh cornering, harsh breaking, and rapid acceleration,
- Automated monitoring of adherence to licensed routes,
- A requirement for taxi operators to provide a minimum level of service each day,
- A requirement for vehicles to be licensed, roadworthy and pass a safety inspection, and for drivers to have a PrDP (Professional Driving Permit),
- A requirement for operators and drivers to have completed Blue Dot training,
- A requirement for taxi operators to bring vehicles in for periodic vehicle inspections at the discretion of the Western Cape Government,
- Feedback from passengers, other road users and the public on driver performance, vehicle quality and COVID safety compliance, and
- A requirement to display Blue Dot branding and the required passenger information.
- Participating operators must be registered on the Central Supplier Database and, therefore, must be tax compliant, without conflict of interest and have a valid bank account.
- Participants must also sign the project’s terms and conditions.
In addition, there is a responsibility on participating members of the taxi industry to support adherence to Blue Dot standards at provincial and regional levels, and to manage crucial issues like illegal operations and taxi violence. This will be done through formalised companies which must adhere to corporate governance standards set by Government.
How were Blue Dot participants selected?
The initial phase of Blue Dot was set up as a province-wide pilot that includes participation from all eight taxi regions in the Western Cape and participants were selected in consultation with the industry.
How are Blue Dot operators incentivised to improve performance?
Blue Dot operators are eligible to receive a monthly financial incentive that is based on performance. The better the operators perform, the more they can earn, within agreed limits. Receiving a financial incentive requires meeting compliance criteria, and the amount received is based on performance against the standards set by the Western Cape Government. The eligibilty criteria and the performance standards are designed to substantially improve service quality and safety. Any participants who do not meet eligibilty criteria or who do not perform well will not receive an incentive payment.
Poor driving behaviour is deeply entrenched within the minibus taxi industry and Blue Dot is designed to shift this behaviour over time, rather than overnight. Through a combination of the pilot’s financial incentives, regular communication with participants, and ongoing training and capacity building, Blue Dot Taxi aims to improve performance over time, working toward safer minibus taxi services for the citizens of the Western Cape.
Blue Dot taxi - Better journeys. Better lives.